Best Super Foods To Avoid Heart Disease

The human body has different body parts all designed for its own specific functions. Two of the most crucial body parts would have to be the brain and the heart. It is still highly debatable to determine which of the two is actually more important, but both are equally essential to optimum health.

Taking care of the heart is one of the most essential steps to take to ensure our body’s condition. Apart from the mere fact that the heart is very important, heart disease and cardiac arrest remains to be part of the most common causes of death each year.

What can we do to prevent heart diseases and take great care of our body’s main organ?

Experts say that the best important step to maintain a great heart health is to work super foods in our daily diet. These super foods are as follows:

Salmon

Salmon has high amounts of omega 3s, which has been proven to be good for the heart. Omega 3s are what have been known to be the ‘good fat’. We all know of the fact that cholesterol could be harmful to our heart health, as it causes high blood pressure which could then lead to heart attack and stroke.

Omega 3 fatty acids, on the other hand, have shown to lower arrhythmia risks—arrhythmia is the condition where one suffers with irregular heartbeat. The American Heart Association actually advises people to consume salmon and other fatty fish at least two times weekly.

Nutrients found in salmon also lower the risk of atherosclerosis. It is a heart disease where there is too much plaque buildup in the arteries. Omega 3s also help lower down triglyceride levels in the body, which has been proven to have a negative effect to our heart health.

Oranges

Oranges naturally reduce blood pressure and cholesterol. One of the most nutrition-packed fruits we can always see in the market, the orange has soluble fibers in it. Like a giant sponge, it sops out your food’s cholesterol before they even reach your heart. These fiber pectin are also great in blocking cholesterol before it is absorbed.

Oranges have potassium, too. Potassium has been proven to balance salt, which keeps your blood pressure under control. The presence of these nutrients in oranges all contribute to the results shown by a study, which found out that a diet with fruits can decrease heart failure risks to as high as 37%.

Citrus pectin, found in oranges, can even neutralize galectin-3, which is linked to heart tissue scars that can cause a congestive heart failure.This pectin is found in the pulp of the juice. For best results, instead of just drinking orange juice, eat them whole.

Garlic

For a very long time, people have used garlic as a home remedy to control blood pressure levels. Garlic release an enzyme called angiotensin, which has been proven to help blood vessels fight plaque buildup. Doctors even recognize how garlic can really reduce blood pressure.

For best results, eat them instead of taking supplements. Garlic extract supplements are now available, which could make things easier—and that is a given. Even so, it is always better to just eat garlic on its own. You can start with garlic chips as toppings on your usual meals such as rice and pasta.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal is rich in soluble fiber. Soluble fiber has been known to lower cholesterol, acting like a sponge that absorbs cholesterol from the digestive tract. Its ability to soak up cholesterol is helpful, since bad fat is being pumped out from the body before it sticks to your arteries.

Go for the old-fashioned oatmeal, or the quick cooking ones.You might be tempted to consume instant oats, more especially if you are constantly busy for work. However, studies show that there is a higher amount of soluble fiber found on cooked oats as compared to that in instant oatmeal.

Not a fan of oats? You can also opt to get your fiber from whole wheat pasta, grits, and bread.

Berries

Take your pick from your favorite berries. Strawberries and blueberries all have flavonoids, which have been known to be great in decreasing blood pressure. One very recent study did a research on women from ages 25 to 42. They were made to consume 3 servings of berries in a week, and showed a 32% lower risk on heart attack.

Berries have anthocyanins. These nutrients are known to dilate blood vessels, thus helping lower blood pressure in the long run.

All chocolates contain flavanols, but the dark ones are known to be healthier due to higher cocoa content and lower sugar levels. We all know how high sugar levels can be harmful to our heart health. Dark chocolates allow us to treat ourselves from time to time without worrying about sugars and cholesterol.

Soy

A super food packed with many vitamins and minerals, soy has been found to have high levels of polyunsaturated fats. Known as ‘good fat’, these help reduce blood pressure for people consuming carbohydrates-loaded food. If you eat rice and pasta on a daily basis, soy protein could be a great addition to your diet.

Consume tofu and soy milk. They have a decent amount of protein, which you can consume to replace pork. Pork is a popular protein source, but its unhealthy fat and cholesterol content may be detrimental to your heart health.

Soy also has fiber, vitamins, and minerals. These things can all contribute to lowering LDL, which is also known as the ‘bad cholesterol’.

These super foods are all great for the body. They have all been proven to improve and maintain optimum heart health, which is reason enough to include them all in your regular diet.

In addition to that, they all contain high levels of vitamins and minerals which are also beneficial to other parts of the body and general wellness. Working them up in your diet will not only do good for your heart, but your entire body as a whole.

What’s best is that these food could be easily found in the supermarket and the grocery. Pick them up the next time you stock up your pantry, and you’re on your way to a better health.